Recreating the American Home: The Passive House Approach

Conceived in Germany, the Passive House approach to designing, building, and retrofitting homes and commercial buildings ushers in a means of predictably creating very energy-efficient buildings. From steamy Louisiana to snowy Wisconsin, from Brooklyn brownstones to western Marin County bungalows, Passive Houses are being created in a wide range of climates and building types across the United States.

As these case studies show, the demand for these homes is growing, as increasing numbers of people experience the comfort and low energy bills that these homes deliver. This book chronicles how architects, builders, and designers across the country have responded to their clients’ requests for comfortable, greener, more energy-efficient homes—in short, homes that help them create the future they want to live in.

"With its nice narrative quality and its ample technical details, Recreating the American Home is a great source of information on Passive Houses."—Graham Irwin, Essential Habitat

"Building using the Passive House approach is an effective way to create truly energy-efficient homes—a critical goal for our time."—Steve Greenberg, Energy Management Engineer, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Mary James is the editor and publisher at Low Carbon Productions. In 2008, she coauthored Homes for a Changing Climate: Passive Houses in the U.S. with Katrin Klingenberg and Mike Kernagis. She was the editor and publisher of Home Energy magazine for 10 years.